Til Death Do Us Part
by Miric
Summary: "You are dying Nykyly." New species bring with them new challenges, and new ways of thinking. But this was one thing Spock was not ready for. S/OC, minor S/K and S/N
1. Surpise

Scotty smiled at his young lieutenant, shaking his head as she babbled on happily. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she, like many of the others aboard the Enterprise had been promoted earlier than what would be considered 'normal'. She was, indeed, only twenty two and with her strong accent and stilted language she was nearly as hard to understand for some as the young man on the bridge who Captain Kirk had decided was going to be in charge of ship wide announcements.

But her enthusiasm was catching.

As they rounded the corner two familiar faces appeared down the hallway. The blonde grinned at him, giving him a short wave. He nodded, a smile still on his face. He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes after a quick glance at the woman beside him. Once again her face had been schooled into a perfectly neutral facade, her previous excitement over the new parts they had picked up at the last port nowhere to be seen on her sharp features.

Damn Kirry. They were almost as bad as the Captain's companion, those rocklike Vulcan's. How wonderful, he thought absently, that both he and Kirk could have matching lawn ornaments.

"Captain."

"Hey there Scotty. What's shaking down here?" James T. Kirk asked, his hands jammed into his pockets comfortably.

"Hopefully nothing Captain. We've tried rather hard to keep this wonderful bucket of bolts in one piece. No matter how hard you people on the bridge may try and tear her apart. Haven't we lieutenant?" Looking back at his young friend his face twisted into a mask of concern.

The quiet look of neutrality the girl normally wore in public had disappeared as quickly as it had come and a new look had taken over her features. It was something along the lines of...horror? Panic? Confusion? Maybe with a dash of morbid curiosity thrown in. He followed her gold eyed gaze to the dark eyes of the Captain's second in command.

Spock's eyebrow raised slightly as he met the girls eyes calmly. Gently nudging the girl, Scotty attempted to break her out of her trance subtly. The girl had never shown any signs of xenophobia before, even though she came from the newest federation planet. He supposed it could simply be shock - chances are she hadn't met a Vulcan up close, especially not a Vulcan with such a reputation.

But that seemed rather unlikely.

"Lass?" He asked cautiously. The sound of his voice seemed to yank her out of her daze and her eyes met his, panic having taken the primary emotional position.

"I go to see um, boiler. Left on light three quadrant from yesterday? Okay?" He watched in awe as she bowed at her waist quickly to all three men before dashing on long legs back into the maze that was the engines. He turned back to the Captain who seem to be caught between amusement and worry.

"I'm assuming that is unusual behavior? When I talked to her about joining the Enterprise she was a whole hell of a lot less jumpy. Never mind understandable. And I thought Chekov was entertaining to listen to." Scotty nodded, his eyes still trained on the spot where the girl had disappeared.

"Indeed." The commander's voice jolted the confused engineer back into the present. "I was under the impression that the Kirry as a species tended to frown upon public displays of emotion."

"She is, normally. I have no idea what spooked her like that. I'll talk to her later." A frown pulled at his lips as his mind buzzed uncomfortably at the idea of the conversation that this could lead to.

"Aw, don't be too hard on her Scotty! She was probably just so overwhelmed by our illustrious presence that she had to go calm herself." He clapped the scottish man on the shoulder, grinning once again. His expression became slightly more serious when he added, glancing at Spock. "Though, if there are any problems of a more delicate nature, I would appreciate it if you'd let me know."

"As far as I know Captain," Scotty answered, reading between the lines. "-there are no issues that would need to involve any sort of discussion with you. But like I said. I'll talk to her when I can find her. That damn girl can get into places you couldn't even dream of. I once found her _dusting_ on _top_ of the metal grating that covers the ceilings. I have no idea how she got up there." Kirk snorted.

"Well, at least we know things are being kept clean down here. And all the better as me and my lovely assistant here are going to be doing a spot check." Scotty nodded, grinning with the captain as Spock's eyebrow raised once more.

"Alrighty then Captain. Let's get started so I can get you out of my hair and into your fancy chair again." His smile faded as he bustled the two men into his domain, his thoughts on a small blonde woman.

* * *

"Kyly? Lass, where'd you get to?" He heard a quiet scramble from onto of the equipment from his left and he looked up to see the small woman slip gracefully down. She looked at him in embarrassment, her eyes flickering away.

"I am sorry that I lied, Commander. I know that we did not leave the light on." Her voice was quiet, and he almost expected her to begin scuffing her foot on the floor. He smiled slightly, placing his hand on her shoulder gently.

"That's fine lass, I understand." He paused, considering. "Well, actually, I don't. Why did you run out like a bat out of hell?"

She tensed, and he watched curiously as her hair, pulled into it's normal ponytail rustled. She didn't answer. He sighed, pulled the woman to the nearest control station, far from any curious ears. They sat down comfortably and he waited for a moment, hoping she would answer the question. Sighing he realized that silence was all he was going to get.

"Nykyly, I need to know. I saw how you were looking at the commander. Is there a problem? You looked like you were afraid he was going to jump you right there." Her face flushed oddly at that and she looked up at him uncomfortably. "I need to know lass, if there is a problem of a..."

He hesitated, glancing away uncomfortably. Broaching the topic of interstellar racism was never a pleasant one, but it was something that Star Fleet had to deal with quickly. Especially with recruits who weren't raised in diverse situations. The Kirry were typically very private and did not choose to involve themselves overly with the Federation. They had only in the last 5 years finally agreed to join the Federation to begin with. Not much was known about them or their beliefs, and since Nykyly was their first recruit to Star Fleet she was considered a test subject in may ways.

"Is it because he is Vulcan Kyly?" He asked quietly and watched as realization and a flash of horror ran over her features. He braced himself for the worst before relaxing as she laughed quietly.

"Oh no no. Vulcanism is not a problem." He grinned at her new word, but chose not to address it at present. "I have friendly Vulcan's on earth from the embassy. Our cultures are similar, and it is easier to understand them often. Though many differences too. They are interesting. And green!" He laughed at her excitement, and in relief.

"They are indeed green. But if that isn't the problem, then what was?" Hesitancy returned to her face and she looked down.

"It is of a privacy matter," she murmured.

"Privacy or private lass?" She frowned, concentrating. Her english was still not perfect, but she had been working hard to improve since joining the ship.

"Um, private. It is a private matter." He nodded.  
"The I'm sorry but I still have to pry. He is your commanding officer and I need to know if there are going to be problems. I mean I don't really like the guy either but I put up with him. He's damn good at his job." She blinked large golden eyes.  
"Don't like? I don't don't like him." Again, he chose to ignore her incorrect grammar.

"You certainly looked like you didn't."

"No I just wasn't expecting...I didn't think ever...I don't know how explaining to be." Her look took on a desperate twinge. "I promise it won't effect work. It will not happen again. But no words in human are describing this. It is a Kirry thing. It is a brain thing."

"A brain thing? Oh, you mean a telepathic thing?" She nodded.

"I was forgetting the word. Yes, telepathic thing."

"But it will not cause any problems?"  
"No, no. I was just surprising. It will not be a problem again. I will work well. I will not look unliking at the Commander again." Scotty nodded.

"Alright. If you want to talk about it though lass, you've always got my ear." She nodded, a tired smile taking over her determined look.

"I know. Thank you." He smiled at her, waving her off.

"Alright, so go back to cleaning the rafters, or whatever it is that you do up there." She flashed him a smile before swinging herself up once again and jogging lightly along the top of the sensitive equipment.

"Weird one, that girl," Scotty murmured affectionately.

* * *

_Hey All! _

_I'm back, finally. This time with a new story. This one is more just a random brain drabble. I'm not precisely sure where it's going, though I do have a pretty good idea of the general plot line. This is my first attempt at anything star treky, but I love the characters. So if you realize that I'm putting anything in that is completely incorrect when it comes to the ship, or characters etc don't hesitate to let me know. I watch the show, as well as the new movie, but I'm sure I'll make mistakes._

_And no, this doesn't mean I've forgotten about Happily Ever After. The ending is finished, so I just have a chapter or two to figure out in between. I'm just fighting with a bit of writers block and I thought maybe trying something different would help._

_Thanks for readying and let me know what you think!_

_Miric_


	2. Interviews and Appointments

Kirk watched his second in command, his face openly curious. He had been working with the half vulcan for almost a year now, and aside from when he himself had worked the poor guy over, he had never seen him this distracted. He had actually caught him staring absently into space. To most it would seem as though he was simply thinking about his current project, but Jim had done enough 'Spock watching' to have a pretty good understanding of the man. Spock never had to _stop_ to _think_ about his work.

That would be an illogical waste of time, while his hands could be accomplishing another goal.

And while he knew that his first officer would never admit it, the reason behind his preoccupation was obvious. Spock was frustrated about his initial meeting with the young kirry officer. It wasn't unusual for the people they met on the other planets to spurn certain other races. Everyone in Star Fleet had experienced it at one time or another. But to have one of their own seemingly act so blatantly afraid, it had obviously irked the tall man.

He had been assured by Scotty that it was nothing to do with the commanders vulcan heritage. He believed the scottish engineer, simply because the man had rambled on about some sort of telepathic bond and become extremely confused. If he had been lying, he at least would have made up a lie he understood. But obviously there were some lingering doubts in that annoyingly logical mind of Spock's. And as Captain, he thought with a grin, it was most definitely his job to harass...to fix it.

"Mr. Spock?" He called, turning his wonderful chair towards the science station. He watched at the vulcan blink once, snapped out of his thoughts, before turning towards him with his signature eyebrow raised.

"Yes Captain?" After the first while, when the tensions between them had been too high, Kirk had started to truly enjoy the cool calmness in his second in commands voice. It seemed to break through all the noise and craziness in his brain and bring everything back to a focus.

It made them a good team.

Not to say it hadn't been a struggle for a long time. Never mind the fact that he was extremely young, and headstrong, and rash, and always acted before thinking, and...well never mind the fact that he was Jim Kirk, there had been many issues with administration, and convincing his staff that he was indeed to be listened to. Oddly enough, the main problem hadn't actually been Spock, but the rest of the crew.

Spock had treated him with cool respect from the moment he had been officially promoted, but the remainder of the ship seemed to still have it's doubts. This had made Jim nervous and frustrated - a frustration he occasionally took out on his green skinned friend. And when Spock would simply come out with some calm answer to his current problem, it would only make him _more_ frustrated.

No matter how often he explained it, Spock couldn't (or wouldn't) understand the fact that sometimes Jim just had to be upset for a while and he didn't actually want an answer, just someone he could yell at.

This in turn had caused a large amount of frustration, though he did not call it that, on the vulcan's part as well.

Looking back though, really, considering the start of their relationship the problems that had appeared in the first months of their work together had actually been rather minor, and unimportant. They could have been at each others throats, or unable to communicate, or any number of other things. For the biggest problem between them to have been that they got _frustrated_ with one another? Maybe the old man was right, and they were just extremely compatible.

"If I can have a word outside for a moment." His pointy eared friend simply nodded, standing. They walked past the curious gazes of the rest of the bridge crew and made their way to the nearest conference room. It seemed that there were still bets going on about when the next showdown between the young Captain and the Vulcan would occur. Most of the staff seemed to believe their ability to get along was tenuous at best. He had been tempted to join in on these bets but he had decided after much deliberation that it would be unprofessional.

As Kirk settled himself on top of one of the tables (earning himself yet another raised eyebrow from Spock) his commander settled himself into his natural position, hands locked comfortably behind his back.

"Is there something I can help you with Captain?" Kirk grinned at his friend, leaning back.

"Not me specifically Spock, no. But I think I have a job for you that would help Star Fleet in general. If you are willing to accept, of course."

"May I enquire as to the parameters of this assignment?" Jim could hear the mild curiosity in Spock's tone.

"Of course. Our new Kirry recruit. I have realized lately that we simply don't have much information about her culture; her species in general. Her people are rather closed off, and don't seem all that anxious to share. Star Fleet chose not to interview her extensively as she was studying to be a cadet. They believed it would be unfair to distract her." Spock nodded.

"It is true. At the time she was in training it was considered much more important to get any cadets possible into the field quickly. It is a shame we did not have a chance to increase our knowledge of her people."

"Well Spock, nows our chance!" A single blink was the only response he got. "I'm assigning you to be her personal shadow. Interview her, watch her, learn everything you can about her people."

"Captain, I am unsure of the appropriateness of your request."

"Why? You are the most similar to her people on the ship. From what I've gathered they pride themselves on being stoic in public. They have some kind of telepathic abilities, though again we don't know much about that. Plus, she is the only one of her kind here. If anyone can understand what she is going through, it's probably you."

"Captain-" Jim simply raised his hand, cutting of the man's argument.  
"Spock you are my science officer. Be a scientist. I will have Scotty inform the Lieutenant of the situation." He could see a battle in the vulcan's eyes before it fizzled out.

"I understand."

"Good!" Another grin broke out over Jim's face. "Now that that is settled, I'm starved. Let's go forage!"

He nudged the commanders shoulder with his gently before shoving his hands comfortably into his pockets and wandering out the door. It didn't escape his attention that Spock stood there for a moment longer than necessary, his hand flitting up to run over the sleeve of his uniform where Jim had just been. He rolled his eyes and continued on down the hall as the vulcan quickly caught up.

"Captain?" He slowed slightly, Spock doing the same at the familiar voice from behind him.

"Ensign." He turned to face the young man who was smiling at him, looking up at him from under long lashes. His hands jerked out, almost smacking Jim flat in the chest with the PADD he held.

"Lieutenent Ohura asked me to provide you with the numbers you requested. She assumed that you would be going on lunch after your meeting with the commander and wanted you to go over them before you return to the bridge. She wishes to discuss them with you when you return." Jim nodded, scanning the PADD.

"Of course. Thank you." The red headed man hesitated, and Jim was amused to see the the ensign actually _scuffed his foot_. "Is there something else Ensign?"

Brilliant green eyes flashed up to meet his, surprise and embarrassment evident.

"Oh. No. Thank you Captain!" He spun on his heel, walking briskly down the hall. Jim watched as he stumbled out of the way of a pair of crew members coming around the corner. As the young man mumbled apologies he turned away, chuckling.

"Is there some joke I have missed Captain?" Jim glanced up at the once again raised eyebrow.

"No Mr. Spock. The ensign just seems to be particularly clumsy around me. He must be in awe of my wondrous talents and charming good looks."

"And of course your truly astounding level of humility." Jim froze, staring up at his friend in shock.

"Was that sarcasm I hear Mr. Spock? A joke?" Spock turned to look down at him.

"I apologize Captain. I appear to be acquiring bad habits among those I habitually spend time with aboard the Enterprise. I shall do my best to avoid such lapses of judgement in the future." Jim just stared up at his friend for a long moment before the laughter broke free.

As the crew members watched their Captain bent over in laughter, with their stoic first officer looking on, more than one found themselves considering requesting a transfer from Star Fleet.

* * *

Spock pressed the buzzer to the familiar door to the unfamiliar room, before locking his hands behind his back. The door slipped open quickly, and he stepped into the dimly lit room. Taking a deep breath, he coughed, not expecting the high humidity. The room was nearly as warm as his own.

The door slid shut behind him as a small head poked out from the bedroom.

"I'm sorry Commander, I'll be out fast. There was a explosion in engineering. I was needing shower."

"_I needed a shower._" He corrected without thinking, his eyes still wandering the room. It took a moment for his mind to catch up to her words. "An explosion? Why were we not informed on the bridge?"

"It was of no big thing. Simply overused piping cap that had not been changed in long time. It broke when I tried to. It was a mess, but not a problem big enough for bridge." He nodded, wandering absently over to a shelving unit on the far wall. It was filled with small plants, vines, and flowers growing wildly over the long fitted pots.

The rest of the room was furnished simply, a desk against another wall, and a sitting area made up of a small couch and a chair. There were a few rolls of what Spock could only assume were paper lying about, as well as a few bound books. It was extremely odd for anyone aboard federation vessels to bother with such archaic items. But as Nykyly's culture seemed to be slightly archaic itself, that wasn't much of a surprise.

He turned as he heard gentle footsteps coming up behind him.

"They are homeworld plants. My mother sent them to me, when I was assigned to the Enterprise."

"Interesting." He blinked as he finally got a good look at the girl. She was dressed simply, a white band around her chest, and a long skirt, slit high on both sides. "Should I wait until you have finished dressing?" He asked, an eyebrow raising.

"I have finished. You informed me you wished this to be casual, and that I was welcome to dress in my native clothing. This is what I wear at home. If you are uncomfortably with it, I can change into my uniform." His eyes flicked up to her hair, as it twitched oddly. He pushed the thought away as there was no continued movement. He must have simply caught the light oddly.

"This is unnecessary. I apologize for my mistake," he replied calmly, nodding. She gestured to the small sitting area, bowing over slightly as he passed. Her hair slipped to cover her face slightly, and he was once again caught by the brilliance. The white blonde hair contrasted starkly to her darker skin tone and blended in seamlessly with her clothing.

He sat on one of the chairs, waiting patiently as she curled herself onto the other one.

"I have prepared a list of questions for us to go threw tonight. I believe they will give me a good basis for understanding the basics of your culture, so as I may find questions that better suit you specifically." She nodded simply, gold eyes meeting his, curiosity appearing in their depths.

"How are your families structured?" he asked, simply. He watched as she opened and closed her fists absently. It did not seem to be a aggressive or agitated action, as he had found it to be with his Terran companions, but simply a subconscious, absentminded one.

"We are tribal people. We live together, and learn together. We respect all elders, as they are all our parents. Each one to teach us something. I have many siblings. I have many cousins."

"So you do not have nucleur family units? Your people raise children communally?" She nodded. The movement seemed oddly uncomfortable and stiff, almost more like her head was bobbing up and down rather than being lowered and raised.

"Why keep the teachings to one or two people? All people know something different, so all can teach something different. I find it odd that humans only have two parents. How can they learn everything?"

"Are you aware of who your biological parents are?" Nodding again, she shrugged.

"They are kind people. I enjoy their company. I am closer with..." she thought for a long moment. "My mother's mother's sister? I'm unsure of the name. We do not have one for it. She is simply _Entna_. Elder." It seemed that at least at one point someone had asked similar questions. She seemed fairly comfortable giving the answers, and didn't seem to be struggling to translate as he had feared. While her english was not quite as fluent as it could be, it was quite passible. Logging this fact away into his mind he continued with his line of questioning.

"Do your people marry?"

"Marry?" Ah. There was the expected confusion.

"Do you chose a single mate and legally bind yourself to that person?" He asked again.

"Oh. You mean bonding? Yes, we have bonding." She looked down, and he could see flickers of anxiety dancing over her face. He noted that mentally. It seemed that it was possible that the discussion of bonding was unusual. She seemed uncomfortable.

"What does it entail?" He asked cautiously, watching her carefully. She seemed to have gained control over the emotion and had returned to her normal calm state.

"We find a mate that we find...appropriate? Is that a word right?"

"_Is that word correct_. And yes, it is."

"_Is that word correct_?" she repeated absently before continuing. "Our minds are bonded in a ceremony with ourselves." She paused, considering. Something odd flashed over her face, that Spock was unable to identify. "Unless it is a Lifebonded."

"What are Lifebonds?" He asked, his curiosity peaked. Civilizations simply had marriage, or they did not. He had not been introduced yet to a culture with two different sets of marriage bonds. Again, that strange flash swept over her features.

"Lifebonded are Kirry who...are connected before they meet. The roads of destiny drive them to the sun."

"I don't quite understand your turn of phrase." He often had the same problem with his human companions. Especially the Doctor. He could not understand why he felt the need to call upon ancient deity's on such a regular basis.

"Um...they are destined to be one. On first sight they are immediately bonded. Their minds become one before even they suggest it. It is a bond stronger than anything. Very few outlive their partner. All of Kirry look for their lifebonded. But we believe that not all have. Only those who are sun kissed." He nodded absently.

"What do you mean by Sun kissed?" She tilted her head to the side.

"The Sun Lord has blessed them. He has planned their union, as he planned his union with the Moon Lady."

"I am under the impression that the two entities you have mentioned are your peoples deities?"

"Deeat-ihs?" She attempted the words, frowning as she did.

"Deities. Gods. Supernatural rulers."

"Oh, yes. The Moon Lady and the Sun Lord are our deities." She repeated the word carefully. Spock nodded in understanding.

"I shall ask about them further later. Are these lifebonds common? Do you know of anyone who is?" There was a pause.

"Yes. My...He was to be my bond mate. But he found his lifebonded. Lifebonds overtake everything, no matter what." There was a small flash of sadness over her features. "My Entna also was bonded. Her mate died, and yet she still lives. She says it is to watch over me." A fond smile slipped over the girls lips.

"I see." The girl seemed to be dropping the calm mask he was accustomed to seeing on her, the smile disappearing. He oddly found himself displeased with the change. Pushing the reaction away Spock leaned back in the chair, watching the girl as she shifted and twitched in her chair. Her eyes flickered around, their large pupils dilating sporadically. Suddenly the intercom bleeped loudly, shattering the silence.

"Lieutenent Nykyly, this is Doctor McCoy. If you are not busy, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind moving your appointment up. It seems we will be reaching Vulcan II soon and I have a lot of people to prepare for the planet." The girl slipped out of her chair smoothly. She looked at Spock questioningly.

"I apologize Commander. Would you mind if we are shortening for today? I do not wish to cause Doctor McCoy any inconvenience."

"Of course," Spock replied standing. "But, if you do not mind I would like to join you. It is in the best interest of my study to understand your people's physiology as well as your culture. She met his eyes before glancing away.

"Yes, of course. That is no problem." Light on her feet as always she was at the door faster than he could follow. She opened the door, and gesture slightly, bowing.

"You after?" Spock raised an eyebrow and walked through the door.

"You mean _after you_." He corrected simply, before making his way towards the medical bay.

* * *

Bones smiled at the familiar girl. They had met every day for weeks, to ensure she was dealing well with her living environment. It was apparently standard procedure with new species being introduced to Star Fleet. So far, as far as he and the girl could tell, she was doing just fine.

She smiled at him shyly as he shooed the nurses out of the room. He had found she was much more comfortable when they were alone. As the women exited, Commander Spock slipped past them into the room. He glared at the man.

"Commander, can't you see I'm doing a physical? Whatever you want can wait." He turned to face Nykyly as she bounced uncomfortably on her toes.

"Commander Spock is to study my people. Is it alright if he is here? He wishes to made note of my physical standings." Bones raised an eyebrow.  
"As long as your okay with it Nyky, it's fine." She nodded, a smile on her face again. He had come to look forward to their little chats, as her normally closed demeanor had melted into this warm woman. He reminded him a fair bit of his daughter, Joanna. Although Joanna didn't have hollow bones, or a heart that beat almost twice as fast as a humans. At least, he hoped that was still the case. The Kirry settled into the scanner and leaned back as he went about taking her readings. The girl squiggled absently as the vulcan commander shadowed him through the medical unit.

He looked at her disapprovingly.

"You haven't been going to the gym enough, have you?" A flush went over her face.

"No, doctor. I am sorry." He rolled his eyes.  
"Don't apologize to me, apologize to your body. It's going a little stir crazy." Spock looked between them, his eyes openly curious.

"What do you mean doctor, by _stir crazy_?" McCoy continued to type in information into the computer system before looking up to answer.

"Kirry systems work a lot faster than humans, or even vulcans. Because of that if they are not continually active enough and burn off enough energy they begin to have interesting issues. Most of them tend to seem rather like the human influenza virus. I'm still working on exactly what it is that causes this, but essentially what it boils down to is that if Nykyly doesn't exercise enough, she gets sick. It's odd because their bodies seem to work opposite from most. You would think that the faster her body works, the less active she should need to be. He heart rate is close to twice as fast as a humans. We are still working on coming up with a explanation. Their doctors are frustratingly quiet about everything."

"And you are unaware of the answers yourself Lieutenent?" The girl flushed, looking away from him.

"I was more being interested in the anatomy of machines then that of the kirry. I perhaps should have studied harder, but I did not see a reason as a child. I do not know the reasons. I simply know that they are so." Spock simply nodded.

"I see." Gold eyes met the vulcans and he struggled to comprehend the odd emotion lurking in their depths. It seemed almost to be...pleading?

"It is...fine," he continued finally. "To excel in one thing often means many others must be left behind." At his reassurance she grinned up at him happily, like a human child after being told they did a good job. Out of the corner of his eye he saw McCoy shoot the girl an odd look.

"At home we have races, and sports, and competitions on weekly. But no races on the Enterprise." She seemed disappointed. "I do no like exercising alone, but I do not wish to not be able to be ready for working."

"I see." Spock remained silent, watching as the doctor completed the physical quickly, and Nykyly hopped off the scanner. She smiled brightly up at Spock for a moment before it suddenly faded in a closed expression. He was unsure what had caused the immediate change, but before he could ask she beat him to it.

"Was there anything else you wished to discuss Commander?" He watched her for a long moment before nodding slightly.

"Not precisely. If you are in need of physical exercise, I would like to observe. If you have no current plans, of course." Bones watched curiously as the girl seemed to become agitated slightly, bouncing on the balls of her feet lightly.

"Of course. Of course." She flashed Bones a smile was the vulcan turned away and followed the green tinged man out the door. Bones shook his head.

"Just when you start getting used to things around here..."

* * *

And we're back!

So like I think I said before, I'm not going to rush with this story, I'm just going to let it come as it does. At this point though, I have around 50 pgs of random sections of this story, so it's well on it's way. Let me know what you with. I'm always happy with constructive critism.

Miric


	3. Pointed Crowns and Ears

"I am curious," Spock began cautiously, "-as to why you wear the male version of the Starfleet uniform." The young woman's eyes flashed up, away from the chess board to meet his. She looked down just as quickly. He had been trailing the girl for more than three weeks, and was beginning to become accustomed to the signs of embarrassment when he broached a topic she was uncomfortable with. She was unhappy with the question, but was not truly distressed at this point.

"When I first came to Earth, I wore the typical clothing of the females. But I found that...my appearance was distracting to some of my fellow students."

"I find that hard to understand. There are many different races situated on earth, many different species. You are one of the more similar to the human's that I have seen. Aside from the placement and size of your eyes, as well as the color, I do not see many outwardly visible differences." She smiled wryly up at him.

"In many ways perhaps. But the differences we have seem to have a strong place in human culture."

"How so?" She sighed, pulling her long hair out of it's typical elastic holder. As it fell over her shoulders in waves Spock blinked, surprised to see what seemed to be two pointed ears.

"From what I have gathered, the earth creature they call a 'cat' seems to have similar features to my people. The ears and the tail specifically. And it seems that human males, for one reason or another, seem to find the idea of a 'cat woman' particularly...pleasing." She flushed brightly, looking away.

"What do you mean by pleasing?" She glared up at him lightly.

"You will make me say it?" A flush spread over her pointed features brilliantly. "Cat women seem to be something of a sexual fantasy of many earth men. I tired quickly of being propositioned by delusional young men who seemed to believe that I would fulfill all of their needs. I also quickly tired of having my head patted, and my tail pulled."

"I apologize. I did not mean to bring up a painful memory."

"It is fine. It did not pain me. I pained a few of them when they did not seem to realize that no meant no." She flushed further at his raised eyebrow.

"I was unaware you had a tail. I have never seen it."

"Please be telling me that vulcan men don't-" Spock raised an eyebrow at the frustrated tone in her voice and her jaw snapped shut. He hadn't thought it possible for her pale features to become more flushed, but they managed.

"No. We are not interested in earth felines." Kyly's head tilted to the side gently at the green tinged flush that quickly disappeared. She ignored the flash of disappointment in his quick denial. That certainly would have made things-No. Bad. She quickly changed her line of thought.

Spock surveyed the board in front of him carefully.

"You have been practicing with the ships computers I see. But you are still thinking much to linearly." He flicked his queen forward two small squares.

"Checkmate." A frown flickered over her features.

"Again," she said simply, pulling her knees to her chest and beginning to reset the human game.

"Indeed," he replied quietly, fighting the small amused smile that attempted to cross his lips. The next few hours past simply, the time slipping away unnoticed by the two. When the ship wide announcement broke through their concentration Nykyly jumped slightly in surprise.

"Vould Commander Spock please make his way to the bridge. Commander Spock to the bridge." The young Russians familiar voice filled the room. Spock stood, feeling an odd sense of disappointment. Glancing at the clock he felt his eyes widen.

"It appears I am late for my shift on the bridge. I apologize for taking up so much of your time Lieutenant." Nykyly stood, walking briskly to the door with him.

"Do not be. I enjoy your company Commander," she murmured as he slipped out of the room. He glanced back at her, his chest clenching oddly.

"I find myself in agreeance. Perhaps next time you can teach me one of your peoples games." The girls eyes lit up.

"I would enjoy that." Spock simply nodded, making his way towards the bridge. He was unsure of his odd reactions throughout the afternoon. It was unlike him to loose track of time. And the odd physiological symptoms, he had found his heart rate increasing at odd intervals, as well as odd pangs in his chest. It had almost seemed like the physiological reaction to fear.

That of course made no sense, as there had been nothing even remotely dangerous about the situation. He made a mental note to consult Doctor McCoy should the symptoms repeat themselves. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he stepped briskly into the transporter, and within moments found himself on the bridge.

"Captain," he acknowledged, nodding as he made his way to the science station. "I apologize for my tardiness. I seem to have lost track of time." He ignored the many subtle stares he received from his fellow bridge members and simply met Kirk's eyes.

"You really aren't that late. When you were not here twenty minutes early I found it odd. Everything is alright though, Mr. Spock?" Spock simply nodded in response.

"Of course Captain. I was simply distracted. It will not happen again." Kirk nodded.

"Now that you are here though, I would like to meet with you, Commander Scott, and Doctor McCoy about our new orders. Ohura, if you wouldn't mind calling the other two to Meeting Room A I would appreciate it."

"Yes Captain," she answered simply, her eyes still looking over to Spock with open curiosity. He nodded the woman before turning back to his station. He would easily be able to run over the log since his last shift before the other two men would be able to arrive in the meeting room. He settled comfortably in his chair and for a few moments immersed himself in the familiar work.

Soon he noticed Kirk standing from his seat and begin to make his way to the entrance to the bridge. He quickly stood, joining the Captain. As they watched the pneumatic doors swish shut, Jim turned to him, his curiosity obvious.

"So Spock, what managed to distract you so much that you were late for your shift?" Spock locked his hands behind his back comfortably before responding.

"I was simply instructing lieutenant Nykyly on the earth game of chess. I did not notice what time it was."

"Chess? She plays as well?" Spock nodded.

"Indeed. She is actual quite capable, for all she is just learning. If you asked I am sure she would join you for a game in the entertainments room." Jim nodded.

"I may do that. It would be good for me to get to know her. Can't have her people think that she's being ignored." They walked briskly out of the elevator down the hallway in silence for a moment before a thought stuck Spock.

"Captain, I have recently been informed that earth men seem to on mass fantasize about women with the attributes of felines. I find this to be a confusing phenomenon. Are you able to explain this in further detail?"

Jim just blinked.

"Excuse me?" The green skinned man simply locked his hands back behind his back and continued down the hallway.

"I was simply wondering if you understood the fascination that earth men have with felines." Jim felt his mind stutter on him, blown away with the unexpected question.

"I suppose it has to do with their grace, and their predator qualities. Earth men like women who are confident. I'm not sure how to explain it. Why the _hell_ did you ask?"

"It seems to be an annoyance of Lieutenant Nykyky." Jim's eyes flashed up to look at his seconds face at the odd tone in his voice.

"I see. How is that going, by the way?"

"Quite well. I have currently documented much information on the family units, as well as their education system. It is quite fascinating. Should you wish, I can send you my findings."

"That's alright. I have enough paperwork to go over right now. When I have a spare moment I might get you to send them to me to run over. If there is anything you find out that would be useful to star fleet specifically let me know and I will send the report to Pike. Otherwise I'm sure you know which parties would be most interested."

"Understood." As they rounded the corner a redheaded face dove out of their way.

"Captain! Sorry. Um...Sorry!" The man almost sprinted down the hall away from the pair.

"A most interesting Ensign," Spock commented dryly. "You seem to send him into a panic with your mere presence." Jim chuckled.

"It is weird, but it doesn't seem to effect his work, so I don't see the trouble." They stopped at the unmarked door and made their way into the meeting room.

"About time," Scott drawled from his position in the far corner. "What were you two ladies doing? Fixing your makeup? Some of us have work to do." Jim rolled his eyes and settled into another chair.

"So sorry Scotty. I simply figured you would want to know that we're being sent to check out an anomaly that has shown up. From all reports it seems to have a pretty negative effect on the engines of the ships that have flown through it. As well as everything else."

Scotty leaned forward.

"Well then. I suppose I could spare a minute."

* * *

_**And finally we have an update! Even if it is a little short. I know this one is slow going, but I really am enjoying writing it and I want to make sure I do it well. I actually have around 55 pages of story written, but I don't write in a linear fashion, so now I have to go back and fill in the gaps.**_

_**I realize that occasionally it will seem like Spock is a little OOC, but there are reasons for it, I promise. If you have any concerns let me know.**_

_**Any critic/comments are welcome!**_

_**Live love and prosper,**_

_**Miric**_


	4. Life Bonds

_They stopped at the unmarked door and made their way into the meeting room._

_"About time," Scott drawled from his position in the far corner. "What were you two ladies doing? Fixing your makeup? Some of us have work to do." Jim rolled his eyes and settled into another chair._

_"So sorry Scotty. I simply figured you would want to know that we're being sent to check out an anomaly that has shown up. From all reports it seems to have a pretty negative effect on the engines of the ships that have flown through it. As well as everything else."_

_Scotty leaned forward._

_"Well then. I suppose I could spare a minute."_

* * *

"This anomaly seems to literally shake ships to pieces, like a giant rock tumbler. We are to get as near as we deem safe, scan it, and report back to Star Fleet." Kirk rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Now what I need from you three is the decision on what 'close enough' might be."

The three other men were silent. Glancing at each other Spock finally answered.

"Captain, I assume you realize we need more information than 'giant rock tumbler' to calculate the proper distance from the anomaly." Kirk nodded, gesturing to the PADDs on the board table.

"These are the few specifics we know about it. It seems to be some kind of warped electromagnetic field. It seems to be fairly unmoving, but I'm not willing to bet on that. It's roughly the size of six of our ships, but it's range seems to be a fair bit larger than that. Star Fleet suspects that there is some sort of generator near the center, but there is no way we will get close enough to inspect it. It will take up to three days for us to get there, so take these, get what you can from them and report back tomorrow."

They all nodded silently, gathering up the PADDs and exiting. Spock waited, watching the Captain as he closed his eyes, sighing.

"You are withholding information Captain," he stated, locking his hands behind his back.

"No I'm not Spock. It's all in the reports."

"I see. So what is it that is in these reports, that you are so unwilling to discuss?" Kirk laughed slightly.

"Since when have you become so emotionally perceptive Spock?" He rubbed his eyes again. "Two ships have been completely destroyed by this thing, and it seems that it is actually getting larger. It is within an area housing two planets within the federation. If we don't get this under control immediately evacuation will have to start."

Thick silence filled the room.

"I understand Captain. I will begin my calculations at once." He turned to leave, when Kirk called to him quietly.

"Spock?" he looked back at the young man, surprised by the look in the blue eyes he met.

"I'm terrified," he admitted quietly. "I don't know what to do on this one. As far as I can tell there is no bad guy to defeat, no giant ship, nothing. There are two planets full of beings depending on us, on _me,_ and I have absolutely no idea what we can do." Spock met the mans unsure gaze, eyebrow raising.

"Captain, we need to learn more of the anomaly before we loose hope. There is no sense jumping to conclusions with no information." Kirk nodded.

"I just...Everyone expects miracles from me. I don't know if I will have one here."

"While your ideas are often misguided and improbably they are certainly not miracles. Therefore it would be unwise to expect one." Jim laughed, his gaze lightening slightly. The worry still hovered over his figure but it wasn't so utterly overwhelming now.

"True enough. Thanks Spock." The vulcan simply nodded, making his way out of the room. Jim watched him go, a small smile flickering over his lips for the first time since he had received the transmission regarding their newest mission.

* * *

Nykyly glared at the tangle of cables and piping in front of her. Whoever had last replaced or repaired this panel had done a _terrible_ job. It looked like a giant nest of some jungle creature. There was no order. No organization.

Grimly she kicked open her toolbox, golden eyes still fixed on the mess before her. She had been waiting for weeks for a chance to get at this sector to undo the mess, but there had been too much to do.

Finally, _finally,_ with the commander in a meeting with the Captain_-_

"Nykyly?" Her eyes fluttered shut in frustration. She supposed if she climbed up into the ducts above this section he wouldn't actually see her and she could continue once he had passed. But no. Her job came before her fun.

"I am here Commander," she called, turning to the sound of the scottish man's accent. The short man came around the corner briskly.

"There you are lieutenant. I was wondering where you had gotten to." She offered him a smile.

"I was just going to start fixing up the mess in this sector." She replied, hoping he would simply allow her to continue. He eyes flickered across her face, to the PADD he gripped tightly in one hand. As he moved closer she could feel the wash of concern flowing from him.

"What is wrong?" she asked carefully. He smiled at her wryly.

"You are going to regret being put onto this ship Lass. With Kirk around nothing can ever go smoothly." She sighed internally, kneeling to close her workbox.

"So you have said. What is it that we must fix now?"

"It isn't so much _fix_ as figure out. How much do you know about the reactions of a starship to seismic activity?" She blinked.

"I must not be understanding. Seismic...that is of planets shaking is it not? We are planet bound?" He shook his head.

"Sadly no. Would you mind being my sounding board Nyky? We have a big puzzle in front of us, and very little time in which to do it." The concern she had felt before flared as he mentioned the time frame. Immediately she was nodding her agreement.

"Of course Commander." A small smile was the only thing the young scottish man offered as they turned to make their way to his office. Nykyly felt her stomach knotting as they walked, the waves of uncertainty and fear throwing her for a loop. The commanding officers of this ship had been through some of the worst situations imaginable. The fear slipping off of him was terrifying.

Whatever they were flying into was not going to be fun. Nykyly steeled herself, taking a deep breathe. Time to get to work then.

* * *

Wearily Nykyly made her way to her quarters, her mind buzzing with number, figures, and factors. Calculating, in essence, how hard a starship could be shaken was not a simple matter, considering they had never been designed to do so. It wasn't often you were shaken in space.

Shot at, more likely. Hit with _something_, most definitely. But it was rather unlikely that you would be shaken.

It seemed though, that that was exactly what they were about to face. She rubbed her ears roughly, working the blood into the cold tips. She waited restlessly for her door to open before stumbling in. She collapsed onto one of the chairs, burying her head into the pillow that sat there.

Her shift had ended hours ago, and she was fairly certain that Commander Scott's had ended far before that. Neither had stopped until they had come to a reasonable conclusion. They had both read what the results would be if their calculations were off. There were too many lives at stake to do something as silly as _sleep_. Not that she had slept at all in the last three weeks.

The mental barriers required simply to keep her mind from reaching out were-

When the buzzer indicating someone was at her door rang only her ears twitched in response. When it rang again she groaned inwardly, exhaustion soaking into her bones and making her limbs feel like they were pulling her to the floor. She rolled off the chair, pushing herself to her feet slowly. Almost limping in her exhaustion she pressed the switch to the door.

The carefully collected face made her knees go weak. She felt her mind thrashing at the mental barriers she had placed around it, screaming to connect to the man in front of her. Whoever had said weak knees could be a pleasant sensation was a fool. She winced, grabbing the door frame in an attempt to ground herself.

A quiet clank was followed by strong hands grasping her shoulders tightly as she wavered. She felt a conflicting wave of euphoria followed by panic as her mind fought harder. Clearly ignoring his normal instincts to avoid contact with others in his concern she felt Spock's hands tighten.

"Lieutenant, are you alright? Do you need to go to the medical bay?" he asked calmly, his voice as controlled as ever. She blinked twice, taking a deep breath before meeting his dark eyes.

"No, Commander, I am fine. I am simply-simply tired." Taking another deep breath she stepped back, fighting against the strong pull to step back into his arms. She felt a chill sweep through her as the contact completely disappeared.

"I met Commander Scott on my way to my chambers. He informed me you had just left your shift and that he was fairly certain you had not eaten. As he seemed to be in need of rest himself I offered to bring you the tray he had provided as it was already on my way." She looked down at the metal tray that was now sitting on the floor. She leaned down, resisting the urge to just lay on the floor, and picked the tray up.

"Thank you Commander. That was very kind of you." They stood there for a long moment in silence, before Spock simply nodded.

"Good evening then, Lieutenant." She nodded in return as the door slid shut. Placing the tray on the nearby table she ignored the food on it, her stomach suddenly in turmoil. She made her way to her bed, each footstep heavier than the last.

Collapsing into the soft fabric she felt the first exhausted tears fall from her eyes. She could not sleep, as the mental barriers would fall. She could not allow them to fall, as that would destroy what she had built so carefully here in Starfleet. She could not look to the only person she wanted to for comfort, as he had no idea that comfort was needed. She could not look to him for comfort, as he would simply turn her away.

She was lifebonded to Commander Spock of the Star Ship Enterprise. She was tied for all eternity to a creature of a species not her own, who would doubtlessly turn her away should she explain. She would spend the rest of her life fighting the bond that would tie him to her intimately, regardless of his wishes. She stared at the blurry ceiling through her tears.

She would live in this net of exhaustion until the day she died. Which, given Captain Kirks reputation, may not really be that far off.

The thought was almost a relief.

* * *

_And finally I'm back. This section has been finished for a while. I wanted to add more to it before I posted but I felt guilty for taking so long! I hope you guys don't mind this smaller for being so patient!_

_Miric_


	5. Chess and Check Ups

The mission had gone quietly. Between many of the crew members working non-stop through the three days and nights they had, their best working estimate of a safe distance from the anomaly had been calculated. After five days of intense study and research the information was sent to Star Fleet Command and the Enterprise was ordered to move well out of range.

The next few months had been spent quietly carrying out small tasks in the quadrant, diplomatic and exploratory. Nothing of note had been discovered and even Doctor McCoy was beginning to bemoan his boredom. The subtle tension that filled the ship continued to seep into their work, creating sharp tones and sharper tempers.

Kirk had very nearly turned the ship straight into the anomaly they had been circling, simply to end the _wait_. There were not many at that point who would have argued with him on the matter.

Finally the orders came.

Immediate evacuation of the neighboring star system was to commence. The anomaly was unstable and until further research could be completed the people of the surrounding planets were to be brought to safer havens. There were few who were unaffected by the decision. Star Fleet was to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, and now all they could do was ferry group after group to relative safety.

Kirk had taken the orders with an oddly calm demeanor. Weeks passed before the good doctor had stopped haunting his friend to ensure he wasn't planning something irrevocably _stupid_. But he continued to direct his crew professionally and calmly.

Bones couldn't decide if that was worse.

Three long months dragged by.

Seven planets and more than 40 billion people had been ripped from their homes and sent to live in new colonies. Fighting had broken out on many of the planets, and the Medical Bay was filled to capacity more often than not by the people sent to try and pacify the natives.

Finally there was nothing to do. All non-essential ships where pulled from the area and The Enterprise was left to guard three research ships that had joined them. The days seemed longer and darker. The times the crew had to rest seemed to grow shorter.

In a rare moment of leisure Spock found himself sitting across from the young Kirry he had grown to know well over the 8 months she had been on board.

The girl glanced at him, her tense shoulders emphasizing the nervousness he could see in her eyes. She chewed on her bottom lip lightly, sharp incisors glinting between dark lips. Finally she looked away, looking out the window across from him.

He continued to watch her silently, face impassive as he waited. Finally, under the natural hum of the star ship he could hear a quiet sound growing. As she continued to stare out the window, avoiding his eyes carefully, she continue to sing quietly.

Spock listened carefully, the sounds of her song twisting around him. It seemed that they relied less on actual words than...inflections. Her singing was something between humming, purring, and buzzing but was extremely soothing in an odd sort of way. Listening intently he began to search the sound for the familiar intervals typically found in the varying styles of music he himself had studied. While there was some similarities, it seemed the Kirry did not use intervals so much as slides, falling and rising from pitch to pitch organically.

Finally he simply allowed the music to flow through him, his eyes closing slightly. He found himself naturally falling into the practiced breathing patterns of meditation, calm seeping into his every pore. He barely noticed as the sound faded until it was no more than an absent hum.

When the silence finally caught his attention his eyes snapped open. He looked to the young woman across from him and found her watching him closely, her head tilted slightly. She flushed slightly when his eyes met hers and looked back at the floor, hands twisting uncomfortable.

"I apologize, it seems I...let my mind wander for a moment," Spock finally broke the silence with his quiet remark. She looked up at him again, golden ears twitching to turn towards him again. A small smile crept onto her face.

"I was not realizing that Vulcan's minds could be anywhere but in the here and now," she responded, barely veiled amusement in her voice. His eyebrow twitched upwards slightly. Silence resumed, but a much more comfortable one. Finally Nykyly curled up into her chair more comfortably, her smile becoming more relaxed.

"I am sorry I am not more proficient at the music of my people. I only know the songs we are taught as children, and some that I heard others singing when I was older. There are many much more capable than I." Spock inclined his head slightly.

"I simply wished to hear how your music was styled. You are more than proficient enough to express that." The girls eyes lightened, her ears twitching again.

"Thank you."

"I need no thanks for simply stating the truth." He watched her in mild confusion as her smile simply grew at his comment, and she rested her head contentedly on her knees. "You seem pleased by my statement. Why?" A flash of doubt crossed her face and her smile dimmed.

"I...I suppose it is that at home I was not much good at anything except building things. It is nice to feel as though I can do other things well enough for you." Something flashed through her expression faster than he could catch. "For Star Fleet, I mean. I wish to be a help to you."

"Indeed," he replied quietly, fighting the small amused smile that attempted to cross his lips. Her determination was quite admirable, but not amusing. He frowned inwardly to himself.

Since the destruction of Vulcan he had found that it had become harder and harder to continue to keep a grip on his emotions as he had been trained. He found that his meditation was distracted, his work less immaculate, and his social behavior much less reliable.

The loss of his mother of course was most likely the stem of many of his problems. While as a child he had purged the majority of his emotional ties, that single strand had held him back. He had truly loved the human woman who bore him, and he missed her with an aching pain that rarely lessened.

The guilt that wracked him also wore at his mental walls. Though it may not have been Spock himself who destroyed his planet, he had in essence been the cause. It had been him, though an odd future version of himself who had failed to save Romulan and therefore triggered the destruction of his own home. Logically he knew that he had no control over the choice of Nero, or of his own future choices. But somehow he still could not seem to push past the gnawing feeling that he should have done something. Anything.

It seemed, when he could remove himself enough from the situation to observe it, that he was attempting to 'fill the void' as it were that the loss of his mother had left with other human companions. With emotion. With affection.

And much of that was beginning to seep into his own habits. He was unsure what to think about these new developments. It was un-nerving to say the least. While he knew that should he return to Vulcan II his new habits could and would be considered unseemly he found it hard to be as concerned as he knew he should be. If he used the death of his mother to allow him to become completely Vulcan, to extinguish all other emotional ties to the world it was like he would truly be letting her go. He would be loosing the part of himself that she had created.

He could not do that.

He blinked, looking up at the young kirry before him. She was watching him quietly, her head tilted slightly again. When his eyes met hers she did not break his gaze as many of his Terran companions seemed to always do. Instead she seemed to gaze through them, searching for something.

"You miss your mother?" she asked quietly, golden eyes somber. He hesitated.

"I do, yes." There was no sense denying it to the young empath. It seemed that while they Kirry could not read minds as the vulcans could, their ability to read the emotions in a room seemed to surpass them. While vulcans require touch, the kirry seemed to read the very air around the subjects of their scrutiny. When he had touched on the subject the girl had only replied vaguely. She told him she simply felt what he felt from the outside. He had not probed further yet, focusing instead on her peoples culture and society.

"I too miss my family. I realize I have not lost mine as you lost yours, but..." She trailed off, giving him a sad half smile. Spock met her eyes again, and found an understanding there that surprised him in its intensity. He simply nodded looking down at the now reset board. Before he had asked the girl about her cultures music they had once again been playing Chess in the recreation room. The area was void of all people as most of them would still be at supper, or finishing their appointed task before the shift changes.

"Your move," he murmured, settling once again into the familiar trains of though that the game brought about. Simple black and white squares. Math. Patterns. No more shades of grey. No further emotional turmoil. Simply black and white.

* * *

Jim stood silently in the open doorway of the recreation room, leaning against it casually. His eyes fixed on his second in command, who murmured a quiet response to a question by the Lieutenant. The quiet, comfortable aura filling the room seemed to naturally pull away the stress of the day, calming him while at the same time filling him with an odd tension in the pit of his stomach.

Jim watched the two figures as they stared intently at each other. Suddenly Nykyly grinned, flicking one of her figures over three spaced in a motion too quick for him to follow. There was a moment of silence before the girl looked up at Spock and her smile brightened.

"Check, and mate," she stated winking at his green tinted second in command. Both Spock and Kirk stared down at the board in surprise.

"I- did not see that." Spock admitted finally in surprise. Jim felt his chest clench at the look of pride and admiration that the commander gave the young lieutenant. "Well done." Her brilliant grin lit up the room.

"Thank you Commander." Jim turned, pushing down an odd sense of betrayal. It wasn't like Spock wasn't allowed to play chess with someone else. Obviously he was over tired. He yawned, forcing the unpleasant feeling down and turning his mind towards his warm bed, a quiet room, and a few hours where no one needed him to answer any questions.

* * *

Bones watched the small girl stand quietly in front of his scanning machines. Her normally passive face was slipping, and she simply looked exhausted, to his trained eye. The dark circles were hard to notice in her tanned skin, but they were there. Her bleached blonde hair was falling limply, outlining her two catlike ears clearly.

Normally the girl stood so lightly it seemed almost like she wasn't really attached to the ground. Now she seemed so grounded she could have actually been a statue.

He glanced up at his monitors, and stared at them in confusion. Her heartbeat was way above normal, her temperature had skyrocketed, and her breathing was labored. She was hiding it well, but his sensors didn't lie. He led her quietly into his office, sitting her at his desk as she tried and failed to hide her confusion. To most she would simply look like yet another worn down, frustrated member of the Enterprise.

"You're sick." He stated bluntly. "I don't know enough about your species to figure out what the hell it is."

She shook her head in silent denial.

"Don't tell me you aren't. Your blood pressure, your heart rate, even your breathing -"

"It is not sickness." She was firm in her statement, so much that he almost believed her.

"Being sick does not mean you will be removed from duties. If I can get you back to health, you're just like everyone else on this rust bucket."

"You cannot heal me. I am not sick." He almost growled, leaning forward in irritation.

"Then tell me what _is_ wrong with you. Otherwise I have to go straight to the Captain and tell him you are not cooperating with the CMO and you will be immediately released from duty." Panic flashed through her eyes and he cheered inwardly that he had actually hit a nerve.

"No. I am not ill. I am fit for duty. Do not report me Doctor." There was a note of pleading in her voice as she finished.

"Then tell me what is wrong with you. It's not like I'm going to tell anyone. Doctor patient confidentiality remember?" She was shaking her head again, and he slammed his hands to the desk in frustration. His jaw clenched and he fought to get a hold of himself as she looked on with wide eyes. Damn the anomaly, damn Star Fleet, and damn the pace of the work. Even he was at the point of fraying.

"Nykyly you're _dying_. You're body can't handle this strain forever. It won't be tomorrow, or even this month, but give it a year or two of this and you won't last. I've watched this slowly getting worse over the last few months. I assumed it was simply a lack of exercising, or the stress of all of this idiocy we've been dealing with but that is quite obviously not the case anymore. If it continues escalating..." He caught her gold eyes with his. "There will be nothing I can do to help you. You're body is running itself into the ground."

"Doctor..." Her mask dropped completely and he blinked at the true exhaustion that shone threw her eyes. Desperation and sorrow flooded out as well and he gasped as he was washed over with it. His eyes clenched shut in a subconscious attempt to block out the tidal wave of emotion. And as suddenly as it had come and it had gone. He physically reeled at the loss and relief.

"I am sorry! I am sorry!" Her hand was on his shoulder and a calming wave slipped over him and he blinked a few times. It didn't matter anymore. He could allow himself to drift. To let go...he fought through the haze of fuzzy feelings.

"What. The. Fuck?"

"I am so sorry doctor. I did not mean to loose control. I just..." She let go of his shoulder and he felt himself slowly sliding back to normal.

"That was _you?_" She nodded, shame flooding her face. "That is how you feel? Right now?" She nodded again, more hesitantly this time.

"Holy fuck." His face fell into his hands as he took a few steadying breathes. "How come I felt it?"

"My people are," She paused, thinking. "Emotion-pushers and takers?" He looked up at her with a bewildered look.

"What?"

"We can feel what others feel, nearby, and make them feel what we feel, should we not keep our walls up."

"You're empaths." She looked at him.

"Yes, that is what the commander called it. I was forget."

"You _forgot_. But alright. That explains the tornado I felt like I just went through. But it doesn't explain what is wrong with you." She sighed.

"I am not sick. It is a telepathy problem. It is in my mind, and therefore not something that you can heal." He watched her battle inwardly, amazed at the emotions flying across her face. It wasn't quite as shocking as seeing Spock break down, but it was close. She was normally either bubbly and happy, or closed off and calm. Speaking of the half Vulcan...

"Commander Spock is a telepath, isn't he? Couldn't he help you fix whatever is wrong?"

Sheer panic flashed over her and he could feel an echo of it in his bones.

"No. He cannot help. He cannot fix this! He cannot try." The panic ebbed slightly as she fought to control herself. "It is not something reversible. It is...lifelong. I must simply...learn to deal with it."

"What is _it_? If you explained it to me maybe we could figure something out -" He raised a hand to cut off whatever she was jumping to say. "I am not a telepathy specialist, and if you say it cannot be healed, then I will believe you. I have to since we don't have one of those on board. But if you explain to me what the problem is being caused by, if it's stress or panic, I can help. We can find a medication that at the very least will help deal with the physiological symptoms."

He saw a flicker of hope flash through her odd golden eyes.

"You think you could help with the heat? With the tiredness?"

"Possibly. But you have to explain the problem first." She looked at him carefully, calculating.

"It is...a personal problem. It is not something often discussed by my people, as it happens rarely among us. Doctor...I trust you. But it is..." She battled to find the word.

"Frightening? Hard to say?" She shook her head.

"_Embarrassing_." He looked at her in confusion.

"Okay, now you have to explain." She hesitated one final time before sighing and looking down intently at the desk.

"It is that I am Lifebonded."

"Bonded? Isn't that like married? You mentioned it once..." She shook her head, still not looking up at him.

"No, bonding is a conscious choice. You find a suitable mate and commit to each other in a simple, private ceremony to cement a telepathic bond." She sounded almost like she was quoting from a textbook. Knowing what she and Spock had been up to actually, that was a distinct possibility. "Lifebonding...it is immediate, and is forever. The bond is forged simply on your first sight of your mate-" She shook her head suddenly. "Not mate. The other person."

"And you found this? I can't see why this is a bad thing. It seems like it would be good. Love at first sight, right?" She nodded hesitantly.

"On Kire yes. Lifebonded are simply officially bonded and mated. It is a wonderful thing to find your Lifebond."

"Then what in god's name is _wrong_ with you?"

"On _Kire_. With others of my _people._" He could hear the frustration edging through her voice. Suddenly her breathing hitched. He reached forward, his hand pressing to her shoulder. He could feel waves of pain and gut wrenching sadness washing from her as he did. It was different from before though. He was only experiencing it from the outside, instead of being swamped with it.

"Is it that your Lifebonded isn't a Kirry? Will your people not approve?"

"A Lifebond is above all things. No one would argue it, regardless of who is your mate. But-"

"But what?"

"But none of the Federation people have Lifebonds. You're minds do not work the same way. You do not..." He felt her shudder. "You do not _bond_. I am bonded, and yet I am still alone." Understanding flashed through him.

"You mean you have a telepathic bond one way with someone, but they don't have it? They turned you down? Or they can't have it?" She was shaking her head again. He was starting to regret having taught her that.

"No. There is no bond. I am tied to it, but it is tied to no one. And I fight, I fight to keep the bond from tying to them. From tying them down. They will not know."

"You're preventing the bond? I thought it was immediate."

"It is normally. But because he is not Kirry, he does not hear it call. So he does not answer. I am able to hold it, to keep it mine. But it is...hard. Very hard. And it hurts. I am tired."

Leonard McCoy had seem many people fall apart because of unrequited love, but to add to that a rare, and obviously painfully strong telepathic bond and...no wonder she was in a mess.

"Why don't you approach the person? Explain what's happening. Perhaps they would be willing..."

"No!" It was her turn to slam down on the desk. "No..." Tears were now slipping down her cheeks. Panic began to well up. He was not used to tears - not like this. "I will not be bonded to someone who does not want me as I want him. I cannot be. To have one in your head, constantly reminding you of what you will _never_ have? Would you do such a thing?"

He hadn't thought of that.

"No." He replied quietly. "I wouldn't."

"And I would not force the guilt it would bring upon him. Knowing that I want something...It cannot be done." He sat silently watching as she took a few deep breathes and calmed herself.

"Alright. You said there were walls? That you have walls up to prevent the bond from reaching the other person? What happens when you sleep?" She looked up at him tiredly.

"I do not."

"What?" He stood in his fury, his eyes flashing angrily. "You aren't _sleeping?_ Of all the idiotic, unbelievable-"

"Doctor!" He stopped, glaring down at her. He could hear his teeth grinding.

"I cannot sleep. The walls would fall. I rest, I meditate. It revives my body as sleep would, in part. It is not...enough. But it does. I am able to function properly and react at speeds required in an emergency. If I was not, I would have removed myself from duty long ago." He sat, anger still buzzing.

"How long has this been going on for?" he ground out between clenched teeth.

"Nine months," she answered simply.

"NINE-" He stopped himself at the look on her face, swallowing. "Fine. I won't argue with this right now." He sat thinking for a long moment.

"What if you were transferred? Put on another Star Ship? Could you let the walls down if you were far enough away?"

"No." The answer was simple as she wiped the tears that had escaped from her eyes away roughly. He sighed inwardly in relief as the girl pulled herself back together.

"Damn." He sighed. "I'm going to have to think about this. But we need to deal with it. I'm going to give you a sedative, to try and get your body back to normal. With the amount of adrenalin you have in your system, it shouldn't actually put you to sleep, but it should help with the fever." A smile formed on her face, but didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you Doctor McCoy. I'm sorry to burden you with my personal troubles."

"It's my job. Don't hesitate to come to me if you feel like you can't handle it. We'll make something work." She nodded. A small sad smile slipped over her face.

"It may be your job, but you also care intensely for every person under your care. It is an amazing trait and a wonderful thing."

"You can sense that? With the empathy thing?" She nodded slightly.

"I can, but it is obvious simply from your manner. You are a good man Doctor. I am honored to be in your care." Bones muttered embarressedly under his breath making his way towards his stock of pre-set hyposprays.

"Obviously you've never talked to Jim then..." He heard a small giggle from behind him and he smiled tiredly.

They would muddle through. They always did.

* * *

_Wow. It's been a while. Life has been crazy and hectic. I've moved to a new country, gotten married, all sorts of things. Sorry about the looong hiatus. I hope this chapter makes up for it! Thanks for you patience. _

_Miric._


	6. Love or Bust

"Thanks for the update Bones. I'll see you at supper, and I'll send in those requests for the stuff you need this afternoon." The Captain and his second turned to leave, but stopped at McCoy's call.

"Actually, Spock, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Both men froze in surprise.

"Is that _safe?_" Jim asked, confusion written all over his features.

"Of course Doctor." Spock responded, ignoring his Captain skepticism. Bones just rolled his eyes.

"Yes Jim. I'm not going to kill your pet rock. Now get lost." A childish pout crossed the blonds lips.

"I'm the Captain. Anything you have to say to Spock, can be said to me."

"Jim. You know the joys of Doctor patient confidentiality. If you want to ask Spock to give up his, then there are plenty of interesting things I'm sure he would like to know about you. Like that time in-"

"Okay!" Jim interrupted, a flush flying across his cheeks. "I get it. I'm going." He turned and marched embarrassedly out the door. Spock watched the Captain leave, and Bones was almost positive he saw a glint of amusement in the brown eyes. Finally as the door slid shut the vulcan turned his attention to the shorter man.

"What is it that you need Doctor? I have completed all of my required physicals." Bones nodded, flipping through a file absently.

"Yeah, this has nothing to do with you, actually."

"Then why-"

"It's about Lieutenant Nykyly." Spock's eyes sharpened at the young woman's name.

"Is there something wrong with the lieutenant?" he asked, his voice even more bland than normal. For once it was Bones's eyebrow that raised.

"Doctor patient confidentiality. I can't tell you without her direct permission on this one Spock. But I will inform you as you are her commanding officer that I have put her on a mild tranquilizer for the time being. Since you tend to be around her the most I figured it would be a good thing for you to know so you can help me watch for any adverse effects. I'm pretty much certain it should be fine, but just incase. She isn't one to complain, but if there is a reaction to the medication I need to know."

"A tranquilizer? Why was that - forgive me. Doctor patient privilege."

"Of course. She says it isn't a physical ailment. Not something _I _can fix anyways. That's it Spock. I'll keep an eye on her obviously, to ensure she is capable of performing her duties properly. I'm sure Captain Cat is waiting on the other side of the door battling with his curiosity."

"Cat? I do not understand." Bones just shook his head.

"Never mind. Just get out of here." Spock turned without another word, opening the medical bays main entrance, his mind turning. True to McCoy's guess Kirk was standing there, a frown on his face.

"I do not understand the human fascination with felines." A smile twitched at the corner of Jim's mouth.

"So you've said. Done yapping with Bones yet?"

"Indeed Captain."

"Are you sick?"

"No Captain."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Captain."

"Are you really, really, really -"

"_Yes_ Captain." A flash of annoyance ran through the vulcan's voice.

"Fine..." Kirk grinned up at his fellow officer. "I'm just all worried about your health, pudding pop." An ensign walking by froze his eyes wide at the comment. Jim grinned at the young man, winking. "I'm just kidding ensign. The Commander prefers to be called 'sugar baby'." The man blinked before turning and walking away without a word.

"Captain, I believe that was inappropriate given-"

"Of course it was, but the look on his face was awesome." Spock almost seemed ready to roll his eyes at that, but simply turned and began his walk back towards the bridge. The smile that had been there previously melted off of Jim's face as he watched his second in command continue to walk away.

"Hold up Spock! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything." Spock slowed slightly, allowing Jim to catch up.

"I am not 'uncomfortable' Captain." Jim looked up at the dark haired vulcan curiously.

"No? I know I make jokes a lot, but you know they're just jokes right? I'm not trying to provoke you." Spock nodded.

"I realize that your sense of humor tends to lean towards sexual innuendo more often than not. I did not assume that you meant anything by your comments towards my person, or Doctor McCoy, or Commander Scott. Though-" The brunette hesitated, looking towards his Captain.

"McCoy has an interesting saying. 'The lady doth protest too much'. I believe he is quoting the ancient earth poet. I have deduced that the saying is intended to imply that those who deny it the most, tend to be the ones that are what they argue against." Jim blinked, stopping dead in his tracks. Spock turned to look at him, and behind the brown eyes Jim could see a vague awkwardness and curiosity.

"Spock, are you asking me if I'm gay?"

"It is always a possibility Captain. Obviously your sexual orientation is none of my business as your first officer-"

"But as my friend Spock, you are always welcome to ask me whatever you want. I just don't promise to answer." Jim grinned at the older man.

"Is this one of those times?" Jim shrugged and continued walking.

"No, it isn't. I'm just letting you know. But in answer to your question, no, I'm not gay. I like the ladies, as I'm sure you've noticed. I don't have any issues with it though, and I can't say that I haven't noticed the occasional attractive male around. I can't say I haven't experimented either." He laughed, shrugging. "While if some guy managed to sweep me off my feet I wouldn't argue it, it isn't my preference." Spock nodded, continuing on in silence for a long moment.

"I see." Kirk looked up at his friend.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Of course. But like yourself, I must retain the right to silence." Kirk grinned.

"Of course. So...what is the vulcan stance on homosexuality? I mean, they are pretty straight laced." Spock hesitated.

"It is not something spoke of often. But there are those who simply choose not to marry. They are left to their own devices and our people do not comment. It is...not precisely frowned upon, but not praised either. I suppose we are not open about it simply because...it is not logical. We are created, in essence to reproduce. Mating with another male would not end in reproduction and therefore-"

"-it isn't logical. Huh." Kirk looked up at him. "And yet some vulcans still..."

"As I said, it is rarely discussed." Silence surrounded them as they continued to walk. A small frown settled into Jim's features and Spock watched him curiously.

"You seem unhappy. Is it something I've said?"

"Oh. No. I'm just trying to figure out if lesbian Vulcans are hot, or ... what."

"Vulcan women who prefer other women are the same temperature as any other ones. So compared to you, they would be considered _hot_. I don't understand why that is the cause for concern." Jim stared at his friend for a long moment before snorting.

"You're right Spock. Lesbians are always hot. It doesn't matter what species."

* * *

Nykyly welcomed him with a broad smile. As he entered her chambers he watched her carefully. Aside from a slight glaze to her eyes she seemed no different from the previous evening. As he continued to watch her silently her smile faded slightly and a flush came over her golden features.

"Commander? Is something wrong?" Another long moment passed as Spock considered his response.

"I have spoken to Doctor McCoy." He could see the absolute panic flaring through the small woman's features.

"You...He said he would not talk of it!" An eyebrow was raised.

"He told me nothing of what was wrong. He simply mentioned to me that he had put you on a mild tranquilizer and that, as your commanding officer, I should be aware that you may need to be pulled out of duty quickly, should a problem arise. He is apparently unsure of how the sedative will affect you." She seemed to calm somewhat at that.

"So he told you nothing?"

"No. But I had hoped you would confide in me." She turned her eyes up to his sharply. "I am to study your people. Hiding ailments will not help."

"It is _not_ an ailment," she stated coldly looking away. She walked stiffly over to the far wall, her hand brushing along the large leaves of a particularly green plant.

"I was given the impression by the doctor that you may say that. He seemed to be attempting to insinuate that there may be a way in which I could help you. If I _can_ help you, Nykyly, it would be illogical not to try." His hands locked behind his back as he followed her trail to stand beside her. He examined the other plants absently.

"You cannot." He felt a flash of irritation at her immediate dismissal.

"I assume the problem is not physical, as Doctor McCoy is extremely proficient at his job. Therefore I have concluded that it must be based in your telepathy. I realize that our abilities in that respect are not completely the same, but that are similar enough that-"

"No. _You_ cannot help me." A heavy silence filled the room for a long time.

"I do not see what logic there is in forbidding me to try. If you would simply think-" A growl burst forth from the young Kirry, surprising the Vulcan into silence. While he had long since realized that Nykyly's people were far more primal than many others it wasn't often that it would come through so obviously. She flushed, looking away from him. There was a long silence, tension filling the room.

"I am Lifebonded." She mumbled, the words escaping her mouth in a painful lump. He looked at her quizzically as the brilliant flush grew over her features.

"I am afraid I do not understand. I was under the impression that Life-bonding was a pleasant experience for those involved. When we discussed it, you mentioned that it was something that all your people strove to find."

"All of _my_ people. Yes." Understanding lit in Spock's eyes.

"He is not of your people. He is someone aboard the ship." She nodded despairingly.

"I still do not see the problem."

"I will not force a bond on someone who does not wish it."

"Force a bond...You mean to tell me you have been _preventing_ the bond from being transferred?" He asked in shock. Another nod. An odd tone of worry seemed to take over his voice. He found himself unsure, his concern coloring his thoughts.

"From what you've said I do not see how you can have upheld this for so long. Who is the man? I will inform him of the situation and we shall-"

"No. Commander."

"I do not understand-" She interrupted him again.

"I do not wish to place guilt in him." He took a step forward, a determined look in his eye. He lifted his hand towards her.

"Then allow me to try and help. Perhaps I can weaken the bond, or help with the prevention of it. You should not be doing this alone." He blink as she stepped back so quickly she tripped on her carpet and landed with a loud thump on the ground. Her clumsiness more so than the movement betrayed her panic.

"No. You cannot." Her denial was almost a shriek, fear lacing every word heavily.

"Tell me _why_ Lieutenant." Spock voice was hard edged but he relaxed slightly as she winced. He took a deep breath pushing away the feelings of fear and hurt at her reaction. Now was not the time to become emotionally compromised. Not that it didn't seem he was _always_ compromised lately. "Tell me why Nykyly. I only want to help you. I do not wish for you to go through this alone should you not have to."

"I am _alone_." The pure desperation that filled the word could not be adequately described in vulcan or human terms. Spock felt his throat tighten automatically.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with an odd mixture of sorrow and longing etched into every line of her face. He unconsciously took a step back as the realization washed over him. He watched and her eyes clenched shut painfully, and look of utter defeat coming over her.

"It is me." He stated, the shock in his voice obvious. She didn't respond, her head simply fell, a curtain of her hair blocking her face from him as she knelt on the floor. The silence that followed was long and tense, neither sure what to say. If the situation had been any other one she would have been proud to have surprised the commander, but she simply felt...defeated. Exhausted. No matter how hard she had fought to keep him from finding out, she had still failed.

"If you enter my mind Commander...I cannot promise that the walls I use to hold the bond will stay. I cannot guarantee that if you entered, I could let you go." Spock watched the young girl for a long time, as she knelt, unmoving except for her jagged breaths. Thoughts tumbled through his mind wrapped around each other. Finally he forced the mental tirade to a stop.

"Would this bond effect my ability to effectively do my job as first officer of this ship?" he finally asked. He heard the air escape her lungs in a rush. Sharp, intelligent eyes met his. If he noticed the tears she held back he said nothing.

"I will not bond with you. Not as a matter of logic," she replied finally. "I will not be tied to one who did it simply as a matter of duty. My people choose to hold their emotions close, but we do not deny their existence. If I will not have a bond of love, I will not be bonded." He watched her quietly, almost curiously for a long moment.

"I am Vulcan Nykyly. We do not choose our partners based on love, or affection but on logic."

"You are half human as well Commander."

"Be that as it may-"

"Would you choose me, as a bondmate in your vulcan ways, if you had not known of my...status?" His hands slipped behind his back and his face became even more impassive, if that was possible.

"I have had no previous intentions of bonding. The woman I had been tied to as a child was killed in the destruction of Vulcan."

"I am sorry for you loss but I am not a diplomat Commander. I simply wish for the truth." He nodded, the slightest hesitation in the movement. She deserved full honesty if she had truthfully been suffering in silence from the moment they had met.

"I do not believe courtship would have crossed my mind should this have not been brought to my attention." She nodded, her hair slipping across her face again. "But you must realize that I, as I said before, had no intentions of bonding. I was not looking at you as a potential mate, but simply as another member of this star ship."

Her dark ears twitched, and he glanced at them curiously. It was odd, even during their private conversations for her to allow her ears to be visible. He was unsure if that was simply because of her discomfort at the reaction that her appearance caused, of if it was of cultural significance. Deciding the question was better suited for another time he continued.

"I am unsure at this time what conclusions I would come to, should I consider the matter." Surprise became apparent on her small face before it was locked behind her bland mask.

"I do not wish for you to -"

"It is illogical not to consider all possibilities. I am unsure as to what my answer would be, given further thought. I propose we continue on as we have, until I reach my conclusion." Gold eyes met brown for a long moment. Spock could not quite figure out what it was that was hidden there.

Finally she simply nodded, standing.

"Would you like to play Boicha then, Commander? I believe that is what you were here for, originally." Spock actually had to fight back a smile as the girl took in the new information and slipped back into her typical frame of mind. She wasted no time on futility, or emotionality. He could see the strain in her shoulders and eyes, but chose to say nothing. Slipping into his seat he pulled up the hologram.

He had many things to consider.

* * *

_Aww. Poor Spock. People making fun of him, proposing to him all in one day. How is he supposed to deal with all of this?_

_Hey look, two chapters! Close together! If you want to thank me, reviews are always nice!_

_Miric. _


	7. Advice

Spock stared at the communications screen for a long time before he finally activated the terminal. He waited for a long moment before a extremely familiar face appeared. Mild surprise took over the older man's looks.

"Commander, this is a surprise."

"Hello Ambassador. You seem well."

"Indeed I am. Vulcan II is thriving, and therefore I am also." The younger Spock nodded, before lapsing into silence. The elder raised an eyebrow in what seemed to be amusement.

"If I know myself, and I like to think I do, I cannot see you calling me without a specific reason. What is your query Commander?" Spock looked away from the screen, obviously debating inwardly. Finally he turned to meet his counterparts eyes.

"It is of a personal nature. I am unsure if it is appropriate to ask." The amusement clearly sparkled in the older Vulcan's eyes at that.

"Then it must be fine. You are simply asking yourself. But as that is the case I am confused. What is it that you could feel the need to ask yourself advice about?"

"Where you ever married?" This took the older vulcan by surprise.

"No. I was never married."

"Were you ever bonded?" The Vulcan's eyebrow flew up higher than it already was.

"I was under the impression that they were in essence, the same thing."

"Well yes. But I've noticed by the Captain's continued assumption that we are never to meet or know of each other that you are prone to abusing semantics." The amused twinkle was back.

"I suppose that was indeed true at the time. But I promise, I do not make a habit of it. So my young counterpart, why do you ask? Surely you are capable of making your own decisions when it comes to this kind of thing. My timeline was very different from your own."

"I do not wish...harm to fall upon...I do not want to hurt..." Spock sighed in frustration.

"I understand that while you are young, breaking someone's heart can seem to be a horrible thing but-"

"Do not be ridiculous. It is not her 'heart' I am worried about. Well, it is, but in a strictly literal sense."

"What do you mean?"

"How much do you know about the Kirry?"

"Not much, I have to admit. They were much more hesitant to be involved with the Federation in my timeline. I believe the scare of the Romulans helped with that. We did have a recruit in Star Fleet from their people. I never met her. Why do you ask?" The younger vulcan hesitated.

"It-" He paused, unsure of how to explain. "The kirry people have a occurrence that they call Lifebonding. It seems that when their people find another member of their species that is exceedingly compatible their mind creates a sort of permanent telepathic link without the consent of those involved. It seems to be relatively rare within their people." The older Spock simply continued to watch him, face unreadable.

"It seems that the Kirry Lieutenant Nykyly has such a bond with me." Simply a blink from the older man.

"I see. And you are unhappy with this mental link?" Spock shook his head.

"No, it is not that. As I am not one of their people my mind obviously does not create these kinds of links naturally. Apparently Nykyly has managed to contain the link, preventing it from tying itself to me. The problem is that the strain of containing such a strong telepathic urge has resulted in many physical problems for the girl. She is unable to sleep, as the walls she has placed up would fall without her constant conscious supervision.

She is also unable to allow me to attempt to weaken or help contain the bond as she is afraid that she would not be able to contain it, should my mind be in that close of contact with hers. There are no other telepaths on this ship, and I am...unsure of how to proceed. I contacted you in the hope that you had come across this problem in your own time, and perhaps knew of a proper way of handling it." The elder Spock's frowned slightly, looking away.

"I apologize Spock, I am unable to offer you any advice in the matter. I am sure that you, as I would have when I was younger, offered to allow the bond to be created, should it not interfere with your duties."

"I did query about such a solution. The lieutenant was...not agreeable."

"Why?" It was the younger Spock's turn to look away.

"She explained that if she is not able to have, as she termed it, a bond of love she will not bond. I have told her that I will consider the matter in the vulcan fashion."

"You are considering taking her as your wife then? She does realize that vulcan's do not, as a general rule, marry out of affection?"

"She does. She seems to have reasoned that if I made the decision based on my own culture, and not simply on my wish to help another member of the starship it would be agreeable."

There was a long silence, both men wrapped up in their own thoughts. Finally the older half vulcan sighed.

"I wish that I could advise you, but it seems as though this should be something you decide completely on your own. Anything I say about my own past will simply color your perception. Your life is your own, and you must make your own way through it." After a long breath, the younger man looked up at his older self.

"Thank you for your time. I appreciate your honesty in this matter. Live long, and prosper."

"Live long and prosper." The older man seemed wistful, as he logged off. Spock stood, staring at the com screen for a long moment before turning and settling on his floor in a comfortable seated position.

If there was no advice to be found elsewhere, he supposed, he must simply re-examine the facts.

* * *

_Hello! So it seems that in the last few weeks there have been a TON of new watchers for this story! To be honest it's been a really long time since I've thought about it what with life being crazy and all. But, since so many of you have popped up I will endeavour to finish this. The ending is actually written, but there are a couple more chapters before I can get to that. So, I figured I would give you guys a little mini-chapter to hold you over until I get a chance to get something bigger written. _

_Thanks so much for your support guys! If you are interested in checking out my BIG project, head to . It's a webcomic that I am the artist for; and co-write with a wonderful friend of mine._

_So, thanks again. Live long, and prosper;)_

_Miric_


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